Amid reports about attendance at a retreat with certain corporate media executives, a frustrated Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman (D) insisted reporters “chill” over his affiliation.
In the brief time that the former Braddock mayor and one-time lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania has been on the national stage, perception on the right has swung from viewing him as everything wrong with the Democratic Party to perhaps the last remaining glimmer of a moderate worth engaging across the aisle.
Of course, as many on the left appeared ready to jettison Fetterman from their allegedly inclusive tent for bucking the party line, such sentiments were likely to increase after a Washington Examiner report revealed his attendance at a July weekend retreat with Fox News executives.
Hosted at the Montana ranch of the Murdoch family, which includes Fox News’ parent company News Corp CEO Lachlan Murdoch, the Pennsylvania lawmaker was said to have headlined a panel on social media with Alabama Sen. Katie Britt (R).
“I was invited to go there,” he told the Examiner as he expressed his willingness in “having conversations in a straight way.”
Meanwhile on Capitol Hill, the senator was asked about where he currently stands with his party affiliation and said, “I’m not going to be a Republican. Why can’t you guys just wait til the midterm? And if I turn Republican, then I’ll be a liar … My name is not on the ballot. Chill.”
.@SenFettermanPA (D-PA) yells at reporter after ignoring questions: “I’m not going to be a Republican!…My name is not on the ballot, like chill and wait for the midterm here.” pic.twitter.com/kxRvmV3xpe
— CSPAN (@cspan) September 15, 2026
Shortly after the retreat, it had been reported that Fetterman named the one condition that would move him to abandon the Democratic Party and become a Republican.
“If our party ever becomes, and just make it official, as the anti-Israel party … that’s when I would leave because that’s a bit of moral clarity for me,” he said at The Hill Nation Summit.
Since then, Fetterman has defended a joint fundraising effort with fellow Keystone State Sen. Dave McCormick (R) and made a remote appearance at the first-ever Republican National Committee midterm convention.
“We will work with President Trump to defend the steel way of life,” said the Democrat amid alleged coordinated attacks between former staffers and the party. “I will always stand for America, reject the extremes, socialism, and anti-American ways of life.”
Addressing the retreat, Sen. Tim Sheehy told the Examiner that he and fellow Montana Republicans Sen. Steve Daines and Gov. Greg Gianforte also attended and he spoke with Fetterman.
“We had a great time,” recalled Sheehy. “I think the reality is he recognizes he’s got to do things that are good for his state, and in this case, that means a lot of conservative policies.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) went on record Tuesday during a press conference saying of “good member” Fetterman who votes with the caucus about “93% of the time,” “We value his viewpoint even when we don’t agree with him.”
Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
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